10 REPOllT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



RELATIONS WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



Canada. — Carp were fiirnislied the Game aiul Fish Commission of 

 Ontario, and e^g\s of the Loch Leven trout and Von Behr trout were 

 sent to Mr. W. P. Greenough, Portneuf, Quebec. 



France. — Eggs of the rainbow trout were sent toC. Raveret-Wattel, 

 Paris. 



Switzerland. — At the request of the Government of Switzerland 30,000 

 eggs of the rainbow trout were sent to Mr. Emil Warner for that Gov- 

 ernment. 



Japan. — To Prof. C. Sasaki, Tokyo, were sent eggs of the Loch Leven 

 trout, Von Behr trout, and rainbow trout. 



DIVISION OF INQUIRY RESPECTING FOOD-FISHES. 



The work of this division during the year is set forth in the appended 

 report of Mr. Eichard Eathbun, assistant in charge. In addition to the 

 regular inquiries of the Commission, the assistant in charge gave much 

 time and labor, at the request of the Department of State, in xireparing, 

 for use before the Paris Tribunal of Arbitration, information concerning 

 the condition and character of the more important fisheries of foreign 

 countries and the legislation for their protection and improvement. 



Owing to the detail of the Albatross for duty in Bering Sea, under the 

 direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, and the necessity of repairs 

 to the ship after the completion of her duties on this detail, the inves- 

 tigations on behalf of the Commission in the beginning of the year 

 could only be incidentally performed. The opportunity was embraced, 

 however, of making a careful study of the seal rookeries of the Pribilof 

 Islands by the naturalists of the ship, who were temporarily detached 

 from her. Upon the surrender of the Albatross to the Commission, on 

 August 31, 1892, it was necessary to give her extensive repairs, which 

 were not completed till the following April, when the President directed 

 that she be placed under the orders of the Secretary of the Navy for 

 duty in connection with the sealing patrol fleet in the North Pacific 

 Ocean and Bering Sea. Owing to these details of the ship, the system- 

 atic prosecution of the inquiries of the Commission was not possible. 

 It is hoped, however, that another season matters may be so arranged 

 as to permit its i)erformance. 



On the Atlantic and Gulf coasts much attention was given to the 

 study of the oyster beds and conditions affecting them. Among the 

 grounds examined were those of Chesapeake Bay, embracing Tangier 

 Sound, IMobJack Bay, and the rivers tributary thereto, and Galveston 

 Bay, Gulf of Mexico. At Sea Isle City, N. J., experiments were con- 

 ducted by Prof. John A. Eyder, of the University of Pennsylvania, 

 formerly the embryologist of the Fish Commission, with the view of 

 determining, if possible, a practical method for the collection of oyster 

 spat, and the creation thereby of an industry distinct from, but as prac- 

 tical as, that of oystei-])liuiting. Professor Eyder's observations on 

 the subject will be found iu the report of Mr. Eathbun. 



